University of Excellence: Measures and objectives

As Universität Hamburg implements its Excellence application, it pursues 5 goals. These are based on the performance areas set forth by the German Council of Science and Humanities (Wissenschaftsrat): research, research-oriented teaching, transfer, research infrastructure, and—specific to Universität Hamburg’s application in the Excellence Strategy—internationalization. Each performance areas contains 24 measures for which Universität Hamburg was granted funding in the Excellence Strategy. We will use the funds to implement these measures in the upcoming 7 years.  

The following pages contain further information about the performance areas and excellence projects of Universität Hamburg.

Table of contents

• Research
• Teaching
• Transfer
• Research infrastructure
• Internationalization
• Committees

Research

Special funding programs facilitate world-class research. They attract academics to Universität Hamburg and strengthen its international renown. The individual measures aim to advance existing core research areas, emerging fields that are on the verge of becoming core research areas, and profile initiatives in need of support.

Fast-track program

The fast-track program at Universität Hamburg enables outstanding students with an early aptitude for academic work to access a doctoral program sooner.

Postdoctoral fellowships

This funding program gives highly qualified early career researchers from Germany and abroad an opportunity to prepare for the next step in their career by leading their own research project. That next step could be a junior professorship, W2 professorship, or leadership of a junior research group, for example.

Funding recipients may choose their research question freely. This “open-topic model” aims to highlight the potential of interdisciplinary discourse for research and teaching.

Information on the application rounds

Nucleus professorships in emerging fields

Nucleus professorships play an essential role in strengthening emerging fields. The University anticipates that appointment of high-profile, leading researchers will stimulate the development of these emerging fields. In addition to further research expertise, the new professors are expected to vitalize research-based teaching at Universität Hamburg.

Open-topic professorships in profile initiatives

To develop the profile initiatives into emerging fields, 3 professorships will be appointed without a pre-defined designation.

Ideas and Venture Fund

The program is designed to provide fast, straightforward funding to preparatory research projects. Funds are available for use as seed financing by projects preparing a third-party funding application. The purpose of the program is to advance the role of Universität Hamburg as a leading university. One third of the funding amount is reserved to support early career researchers. The first 2 application rounds have already concluded. More information about the Ideas and Venture Fund is available from the Staff Service Portal. Details on the third application round will be published in the autumn of 2020.

Strengthening regional research cooperation

The Partnership for Innovation, Education and Research (PIER), a collaborative endeavor between Universität Hamburg and DESY, has been expanded to include 16 members. PIER strengthens existing research partnerships in the Hamburg Metropolitan Region and initiates new collaborative formats.

It also stimulates cooperation within the Association of North German Universities. The program further provides seed financing to support innovative, collaborative research projects that are still in their infancy.

Return to the table of contents

Teaching

The Studium generale and a degree program in the liberal arts give students access to research-based teaching and a multidimensional education.

Support for student research groups

Selected student research groups receive project-based funding. This makes the University a more desirable research location and introduces students to top-level research. The first funding round of the Excellence Strategy will start in Winter Semester 2020/21; applications are set to open in Summer Semester 2020.

Visiting scholars for the Studium generale

A portion of the funds from the Excellence Strategy will be set aside to invite outstanding visiting scholars, e.g., from strategic partner universities, to Universität Hamburg for 1 semester each. 

Establishment of a degree program in the liberal arts

The University is launching a new, world-class liberal arts program. Its structure follows the Dutch model of an 8-semester bachelor’s degree program. While the program takes advantage of existing top-level courses, it also provides funding for new, external resources. The University has submitted applications for a range of projects:

• establishing 2 professorships in the liberal arts
• attracting outstanding visiting scholars to Universität Hamburg
• providing funds for coordinating the new degree program

Return to the table of contents

Transfer

The University stimulates knowledge transfer by leveraging synergies in the Hamburg Metropolitan Region and implementing innovative processes that facilitate top-level research.

Professorship for innovation research

The new professorship for innovation research has been established to provide insight into the innovation processes taking place between society and academia. Taking into account the transfer and collaboration processes of a flagship university, in particular, it aims to strengthen the University’s capacity for innovation. The professorship involves an element of collaboration with network partners in the Hamburg Metropolitan Region and integration into (inter)national research and knowledge transfer associations. It will also underpin the establishment of a master’s degree program in innovation, cooperation, and transfer.

Public Understanding of Science and Humanities (PUSH) Team

The new PUSH Team aims to consolidate and professionalize academic events and activities. It will plan new academic events on current social issues in collaboration with partners from the Hamburg Metropolitan Region and strengthen the University’s public relations.

Transfer agency

The University is in the process of establishing a transfer agency (working title). Its purpose is to support the knowledge transfer activities of Universität Hamburg with a focus on innovative processes, opportunities for collaboration, and transfer-oriented services. It intends to forge close, systematic partnerships with regional transfer partners. The transfer agency consolidates a number of existing opportunities and services.

Funding for transfer projects

The Transfer@UHH program supports projects designed to initiate and implement transfer activities and develop concepts for innovation and transfer labs within the University’s innovation and transfer area of activity. Its goal is to probe new forms of knowledge and technology transfer.

The 2020 call for applications includes a call for the special format Mehr Weitblick nach der Coronavirus-Krise (Greater foresight after the corona crisis) to provide quicker and less complicated support for smaller transfer projects that primarily address issues related to the handling of the corona crisis.

See comprehensive information on the call for applications for transfer project funding.

Return to the table of contents

Research infrastructure

Cutting-edge infrastructure will be set up to facilitate top-level research.

• Core facility platforms
• IT and digitalization platform

Return to the table of contents

Internationalization

The University aims to offer outstandingly attractive working conditions to attract top international researchers to Hamburg.

Advanced fellowships

The Hamburg Institute für Advanced Study (HIAS) will be accepting applications for ExStra-funded fellowships for outstanding visiting scholars as of Winter Semester 2020/21.

Strategic networks

The University will focus on identifying and establishing multilateral, thematic projects in research and teaching to intensify and expand collaboration within its strategic partner network. It will fund match-making workshops and exchange projects in support of this endeavor. The partnerships thus forged will help attract outstanding international researchers to the University from abroad.

Call for applications to the Next Generation Partnerships Workshops/Conferences funding program

Internationale strategy conferences

The University is expanding its international strategy conferences. New conference formats will be established, and the 3 successfully trialled conference formats (Global University Leaders’ Council, Hamburger Horizonte, Vigoni Symposium of Science and Politics) will be made permanent.

Scholarships for students going abroad

Funding is to be made available for use as scholarships and grants for students to study abroad, providing them with a financial incentive to study outside of Germany and support their stay as a doctoral researcher at a foreign top-level university. As of 15 November 2019, doctoral students can use the Hamburglobal PhD website to apply. Please take note of the relevant prerequisites. 

Return to the table of contents

Committees

We will establish advisory groups (“committees”) for the 5 performance areas of the University: research, teaching, transfer, research infrastructure, and internationalization. An additional committee will be established for general topics that do not fall within the scope of any one performance area (Excellence Advisory Board). These advisory groups support University leadership in evaluating and advancing the measures of the Excellence Strategy. All committees are staffed with internal and external members. They will meet up to twice a year.

Members of the Research Committee

• Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Leena Bruckner-Tuderman, medical director of the Department of Dermatology, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg
• Prof. Dr. Ralph Eichler, president of ETH Zurich, 2007–2015, ETH Zurich
• Prof. Dr. Anita Engels, Universität Hamburg
• Prof. Dr. Michael Friedrich, Universität Hamburg
• Prof. Dr. Christian Gerloff, Department of Neurology, the UKE, Universität Hamburg
• Prof. Dr. Dr. Dr. Klaus J. Hopt, former director of the Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law, Hamburg
• Prof. Dr. Otfried Jarren, University of Zurich
• Prof. Dr. Kristian Kersting, Technische Universität Darmstadt
• Prof. Dr. Erika Kothe, chair of the university consortium UniWiND, Friedrich Schiller University Jena
• Prof. Dr. Chris Meier, Universität Hamburg
• Prof. Dr. Peter Schleper, Universität Hamburg
• Prof. Dr. Luise Schorn-Schütte, vice president of the German Research Foundation, 2004–2010, Goethe University Frankfurt, Main
• Prof. Dr. Winfried Schulze, chair of the German Council of Science and Humanities (Wissenschaftsrat), 1998–2001, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
• Prof. Dr. Jonas Schreyögg, Universität Hamburg
• Prof. Dr. Klaus Sengstock, Universität Hamburg

Members of the Research Infrastructure Committee

• Dr. Elisabeth Niggemann, ret. director general of the German National Library
• Dr. Stefan Thiemann, head, Center for Sustainable Research Data Management, Universität Hamburg
• Prof. Dr. Chris Meier, Universität Hamburg
• Prof. Dr. Jochen Brüning, chair, Coordination Centre for Scientific University Collections in Germany
• Prof. Dr. Klaus Tochtermann, director, Leibniz Information Centre for Economics
• Prof. Dr. Marion Ruisinger, director, Deutsches Medizinhistorisches Museum, Ingolstadt
• Prof. Dr. Martin Aepfelbacher, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf
• Prof. Dr. Martin Quack, ETH Zurich
• Prof. Dr. Matthias Glaubrecht, scientific director, Center of Natural History, Universität Hamburg
• Prof. Dr.-Ing. Stephan Olbrich, director, Regional Computing Center at Universität Hamburg
• Prof. Robert Zepf, director, Hamburg State and University Library Carl von Ossietzky

Members of the Internationalization Committee

• Prof. Dr. Hans-Dieter Daniel, ETH Zurich, University of Zurich
• Jodien Houwers, MA, senior policy advisor for international cooperation, University of Groningen
• Dr. Stefan Mehlich, head of the Department of Sponsorship and Network, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
• Dr. Uwe Muuss, head of the International Office, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
• Dr. Joern Pütz, vice president of German-French Relations, vice president of research at Eucor—The European Campus
• Dr. Dorothea Rüland, secretary general, German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
• Prof. Dr. Sylvia Schwaag-Server, vice president, Lund University
• Marijke Wahlers, head of the international affairs working group, German Rectors' Conference (HRK)
• Prof. Dr. Ingenuin Gasser, Universität Hamburg

Members of the Transfer Committee

• Prof. Dr. Andreas Breiter, University of Bremen
• Dr.-Ing. Thomas Kathöfer, chief executive officer, German Federation of Industrial Research Associations (AiF)
• Dr. Nina Lemmens, chair of the program board, Joachim Herz Stiftung
• Dr. Elvire Meier-Comte, vice president, head of human resources, Airbus Defence and Space Operations
• Wolfgang Müller-Pietralla, head of corporate foresight, Volkswagen AG
• Kristina Tröger, entrepreneur, initiator and president, Club europäischer Unternehmerinnen e.V.
• Dr. Isabella Vértes-Schütter, artistic director, Ernst Deutsch Theater
• Prof. Dr. Tilo Böhmann, Universität Hamburg
• Prof. Dr. Mark Heitmann, Universität Hamburg
• Prof. Dr. Kai-Uwe Schnapp, Universität Hamburg
• Prof. Dr. Horst Weller, Universität Hamburg
• Prof. Dr. Iris Wenderholm, Universität Hamburg
• Prof. Dr. Jetta Frost, innovation and transfer representative, Universität Hamburg
• Achim Twardy, member of the board, dpa, NDR Media, Studio Hamburg and Next Media Accelerator

Return to table of contents